Early Wednesday morning, Chris Pratt Instagrammed a photo of what looks like a punishing work commute–having to report for work before the sun is even up. But the blurry picture of his dashboard and some Atlanta highway signs aren’t the point of this post. The caption–which tells his incredible rags to riches story–is.

Long before Pratt was a movie star, he was living in Maui while homeless and waiting tables. His Instagram addresses that. “Fifteen years ago I felt the same passion I feel today, but I had very little opportunity. I had to hustle hard and go hungry. I had to eat sardines and figure out how to get gas money,” he writes.

But he never gave up on his dream, and encourages others to stick with it as well: “I never stopped believing. Ever.”

We’re 15 years in the future, and Pratt is working on Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Passengers (with Jennifer Lawrence), back-to-back. Despite how early he had to wake up and the long hours he has worked, it’s all worth it: “I go back in in about 8 hours to do more. I am doing what I love. It doesn’t feel like work. Even though it is. I’m having fun. I’m overcome with joy and gratitude.”